Help me find a van

Well the dodge is cheaper, can carry more stuff, has the 1 ton suspension, likely easier to work on than the previa, and in my experience american full size vans are pretty dang reliable.

I had an american van for several years but when i wanted to buy something with 4wd i decided to opt for an obscure 15 year old japanese minivan instead of something that you still see a lot of on the road, something basic. Not that I dislike my old MPV but its got its share of annoying, small, common, well documented problems, has unique parts that are more difficult to track down sometimes, and in general I still wish I got an astro or another fullsize.

failboat wrote: Well the dodge is cheaper, can carry more stuff, has the 1 ton suspension, likely easier to work on than the previa, and in my experience american full size vans are pretty dang reliable. I had an american van for several years but when i wanted to buy something with 4wd i decided to opt for an obscure 15 year old japanese minivan instead of something that you still see a lot of on the road, something basic. Not that I dislike my old MPV but its got its share of annoying, small, common, well documented problems, has unique parts that are more difficult to track down sometimes, and in general I still wish I got an astro or another fullsize.

Thanks for the input. I'm wary of buying a 200k mile Dodge I guess is the main thing. I have a good history with Japanese cars just being like appliances for me, I just drive them and they don't need much, that's why I'm so interested in the Previa. My experience with American cars (well it has just been a '98 Explorer) has been no-starts due to sensors, solenoids, transmission issues, valve train issues, etc. So basically my history with Japanese cars is "drive it and forget it." Which is great for a work-type van.

If I buy an American van it's because I'm taking everyones word for it, which may not be a bad thing, I like the workman like feel of the domestic stuff.

I am here to tell you that a 1998 Explorer is not a fair representation of American Car reliability in general. I would say those are noticeably worse than average.

The biggest thing to worry about with domestic full size vans is transmission issues.

That Previa looks pretty nice...

Thanks Vigo, I keep hearing that, I'll keep soldiering into unfamiliar territory and watch out for transmission issues, with GRM guidance. :)